C-Reactive Protein and Flaxseed

The amount of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood is an important marker for cardiovascular risk. A high level of CRP is associated with a high cardiovascular risk. CRP is produced by the liver.  Dietary fiber has been found to lower the level of CRP in the blood. And flaxseed, which contains a good amount of dietary fiber, apparently lowers CRP levels.

According to one study, CRP is related to inflammation or swelling of the arteries. And this swelling is associated with cardiovascular problems. In the study, which was a Harvard  women's study consisting of 18,000 subjects, researchers noticed that CRP appeared to do a better job of predicting cardiovascular risk than cholesterol levels. In fact, a high CRP level could increase the risk of cardiovascular problems by a factor of three.

Further, the study showed that high levels of  CRP increased the risk of dying from coronary disease by a factor of four. Also, high levels of CPR can increase the chances of experiencing a nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke. And just as with cholesterol, a simple test of the blood can measure the CRP level in the blood.

Flaxseed, which contains a large amount of dietary fiber, has been shown to lower the levels of CRP in the blood. In one study, consisting of 27 men who had cardiovascular risk factors, there was a decrease in CRP after the men were given flaxseed. The researchers indicated that "a decrease in inflammatory markers (CRP and TNF-alpha) was observed after flaxseed intake." The researchers also stated that the study results suggest "that flaxseed added to a weight loss diet could be an important nutritional strategy to reduce inflammation markers such as CRP and TNF-alpha."

Weight loss providers are always looking for ways to enable a person to improve his or her health through diet. Using flaxseed as part of a healthy diet may be a way to improve a person's health. Therefore, the use of flaxseed may be something some weight loss providers might want to consider.

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